Times of peace
by Isis4
Summary: A Starzinger SF西遊記スタージンガー fanfic. This is the story of Belamis after the Galaxy Energy has been restored.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: SF西遊記スタージンガー "Starzinger" and its characters are property of TOEI Animation. No money is being made, so no infringement of the copyright law is intended.

Note: This story starts on the events of Episode 64.

For W.

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Times of peace

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"You cannot fight the photon monster all by yourself. It's dangerous," A worried Kugo warned her. As he watched how she stares with determination at her sword, ready to leave on her fighter jet, a heavy feeling invaded his heart… he knows her intentions.

Avoiding his look, she tried not to be weak. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel how his eyes were fixed on her face, concerned, trying to read her thoughts and begging her to change her mind.

"_Kugo, one day… even an hour was enough…"_ she allowed herself to think but not to say. She was aware of her feelings, and minutes ago, even now, she could sense that he might feel the same way.

"_No, we would never…"_ she shook her head. It was too late. What is left of the woman in her would not prevail over the reason why she became a cyborg warrior. The opportunity to help restore the Galaxy Energy, the reconstruction of a new world… her redemption for serving an evil queen…was in front of her. She was determined to fight, even to die, for that.

"Belamis!" She heard, but ignored.

The cockpit closed. He stepped back. The false indifference hurts him.

"_She doesn't want to live…"_ He realized, as Belamis flights toward the monster. Suddenly, the sad memory of the day when he thought she was dead when the Queen Lacet's planet was destroyed, urged him to stop her.

"Starcrow!" Kugo rushed to his vehicle. He followed Belamis at high speed. In just a few minutes, he was pretty close to her craft.

The photon monster, a massless creature, transformed into an enormous tiger and roared ferociously into space.

"Belamis, wait! Let's fight together!" He appeared on her screen, insisting. She didn't respond, but looked back, taking a final look at him.

"_One day, just one moment… I was happy when I was with you…_" Again, she gave herself permission to think about him on the last moment of her life. With some anguish, she also regretted what could never be. "_If only I had met you in times of peace… Goodbye, Jan Kugo_."

The farewell gave her the strength to face the destiny she'd chosen.

"What the hell…?" Kugo was shocked to see how bravely she stood on the pilot's seat, took her helmet off and raised her electromagnetic sword. The eyes of the photon beast beamed, shooting rays at her. She blocked some with her sword. None hit her.

Belamis's fighter and Kugo's Starcrow flew below the energy creature. Luckily, the monster faded. It gave Kugo time to reach Belamis's jet even closer until both flew side by side.

"I've got to stop her!" Without hesitating, he leaped from the Starcrow to Belami's jet, landing harshly on the left wing. The Starcrow didn't follow from then. It stayed suspended into space.

"Belamis!" He called her out, staggering as he got near the cockpit while the fighter jet turns.

"Ah?" Her face revealed his presence caught her off guard at first, but, as he came closer, fixing his brown, caring eyes on her, she became instinctively defensive.

"You can't stop me!" The tip of her sword pointed directly to his chest, as a warning for him to keep some distance. "Go away, Kugo".

Her stare was, as usual, impenetrable.

The attempt of pushing him away was unsuccessful. Instead of intimidating him, her desperate action encouraged him even more. "Remember Mandorago? You said you wouldn't die…" His look and his voice, like those of a true, kind friend, were about to tumble her defenses down, "Not before you and I have our duel."

He noticed her sapphire eyes evaded his, as it seemed the memory hit her, but only temporarily.

At a distance, ahead of them, the tiger reappeared and roared. Its eyes beamed again. A ray almost hits Kugo, but hit the left vertical stabilizer instead. The craft shook abruptly, decreasing altitude for a moment and, fortunately, getting them out of harm's way.

"Please leave! Now!" She yelled out of concern for Kugo and then turned, getting out of the cockpit to face the monster and thinking, "_don't make it harder than it is…"_

By the look she just had on her face, Kugo knew this wasn't a hopeless case. He could save her.

"Since I was a kid, I've always been disobedient!", he defied and stood behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" She looked over her shoulder, exasperated, as there was barely enough room between the jet's cockpit and the nose.

"We are in this together!" He insisted and pulled out his Astrolance. She sighed deeply, giving up.

Again, the monster was ahead, waiting for them.

"I'll attack first!" Belamis demanded.

"Ladies first, of course!" He dared to joke and chuckled. He loved when she looked over her shoulder again; giving him the same killing stare she always gives him every time she challenges him to the unfinished duel. _"That's more like you,"_ He thought. That was another good sign.

"This time, I'll do it right," Kugo heard her say, but there wasn't time to wonder what she meant.

As they got closer to the monster, she stepped forward and positioned herself to attack.

"Arrrgh!" She threw her sword with all her strength and will. The monster also fired rays at them.

"Belamis!" In a flash, Kugo grabbed Belamis' arm and pulled her to him. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and jumped from the craft. Before they knew it, both were falling down into the empty space.

During seconds, as they fall, Kugo held Belamis tight. To his surprise, she remained quiet and made no resistance. She rested her head on his shoulder, laid her hands on his chest and missed to watch how her sword and fighter jet went straight into the monster's mouth. His arms held her tighter when she heard a huge explosion.

They landed safely on the Starcrow. Immerse in the heavenly scent of her jet black hair, Kugo still kept his arms around her while Belamis sank her face on his chest to avoid the blinding light.

"I'm glad you're safe," Kugo said to her ear and searched for her face. She seemed defeated, vulnerable. Being so close, Belamis feared that he would discover her emotions. Realizing her slip, she frowned, broke away gently from his embrace and turned.

As the precious moment shattered, something caught her eye.

"We'd better go back," he said, hiding his disappointment.

"Not yet. Kugo look!" Belamis shook her head in disbelief at the remnants of the explosion, "the monster has not been destroyed yet!"

"What?" Kugo stared at the cloud, which was still pulsating. Belamis' fighter was still visible.

"I'll finish what you started," Kugo assured her; "your effort won't be in vain." The Starcrow moved towards it. At a safe distance, Kugo pulled out his Astrolance again. The weapon glowed and he shot it straight to the remains of the monster. This time, nothing was left after the explosion.

"You did it!" Belamis admitted with some admiration, regretting being wrong from the start. She couldn't possibly beat the photon monster alone after all.

"No," Kugo corrected, laying a hand on her shoulder, "we did it_."_

A deep sigh escaped her. His actions and words were hard, for the women in her, to resist. A moment ago, her mind was set on letting him go. Now, after all he has done, after all he has shown, he was changing all that she once thought certain. Everything starts to seem possible.

Behind her, Kugo still hoped that she would, somehow, stop pushing him away. He longed for a chance to talk to her, to end all misunderstandings between them…and he would seize the opportunity to start over.

"Belamis, can you see it?" He pointed toward the fading cloud, as it revealed what was beyond it.

"Yes," She whispered and, as soon as she recognized it, an unexpected feeling of thankfulness for being alive flooded her soul, "The Great Planet."

It was a breathtaking spectacle. A blend of different shades of green light radiated from the center of the galaxy.

The splendor of the Great Planet encouraged Kugo to keep trying to win her over, "Belamis, even though we were on opposite sides, we fought for the same cause. Now our dream is about to come true." He paused for a moment to think of the right words, "When we get there, the Galaxy Energy will be restored. There will be peace and then, maybe, you and I…"

"Ah?" Stunned and wide-eyed, Belamis turned to face him.

"…could be friends?" He kindly extended his right hand, eyes filled with expectation.

"_If only I had met you in times of peace…"_

Caught by her own words, she looked away, taking a moment to deliberate on them and on his gesture which promises exactly what she, previously, regretted. She found no arguments to contradict him. She also found the hope she thought lost.

In a new world, the world she has dream of, she wouldn't have to behave like a cyborg warrior anymore, living to kill monsters. She could live a different life. A life in which she could be more like the way she was before; a life that would let her show another part of herself.

Still pondering, she gazed at him. He was waiting, patiently. She had to admit that he has been a friend, her only friend. For the first time, she felt sorry for not seeing it before.

This time, unlike Mandorago, she wouldn't refuse him.

A shy smile appeared on her face in anticipation of what will be. She would try to get over. She would try to leave the anger and the bitter ache behind. To be his friend was a good start. For her, for now, would be more than enough.

"Jan Kugo, you are right," With a friendly tone in her voice and a new gleam in her eyes, she gave him a firm handshake, "Let's be friends."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – see chapter one

The Great Planet and its warm, emerald beams of light seemed to call them out as they return to the moon, where the Queen Cosmos was. She barely had time to think, during the few minutes it took to get back, on how things turned out after all. She had always been ready to die for the dream so others might live it. But there she was, living the dream and what she never thought possible. Happiness began to infiltrate her soul, but she tried to keep at bay all the time, especially when she spotted Princess Aurora and her friends from the Starcrow.

When they landed, Belamis witnessed how eager Kugo's friends were to meet their hero. Don Hakka was the first to run to them. Kugo was just taking off his helmet when the green suited cyborg gave him a mighty bear hug, lifting him off his feet. Next, Hakka put his hands on both sides of Kugo's head…

"You fat! Don't..! Yuck! " Kugo wrinkled his nose in disgust and pulled away from him. Hakka had just kissed him on the forehead.

"I'm sorry man, but I can't hold back! I LOVE YOU! HA, HA, HA!" Hakka laughed out loud.

Djorgo was next. He gave Kugo a hug, patting him on the back.

"That was amazing!" He said while gripping Kugo's shoulders firmly.

Belamis, to his right, stepped aside and decided to be just a mere spectator. Like a bad habit to break, she involuntarily turned reserved, recognizing not being part of the celebration that those friends were having. Even though she hoped to make amends by killing the photon monster herself, the fact was she did them a lot of harm before and would never expect to be welcomed with open arms.

While gazing at the scene, she paid special attention to the victim of her misleading pursuit. She has been trying to avoid her, not because she hates her, but for the shame she feels for hunting her once, for treating her bad even though that young woman tried to make her see she was mistaken. Unfortunately, she couldn't see the truth then, she was devoted to her queen.

However, there was something else about the princess that Belamis just couldn't stand since she met her. It was that defenseless, vulnerable, fragile façade most women have, so in need of protection, so dependent on men.

Standing before her protector, the princess, with her long, golden hair and her innocent blue stare, filled with tears of joy, looked like a delicate, pure angel. Absolute gratitude was all over her face.

"My dear princess," Kugo looked down at her with a warm smile, "We can go now."

"Yes…" Aurora's voice shook. A tear rolled down her cheek. Without taking her eyes off him, she took his left hand and managed to smile back.

"Thank you… from the bottom of my heart."

From Belamis' perspective, both stared at each other intensely for too long. She already felt like a stranger and just when she began to feel uncomfortable, Aurora talked to her.

"We are very grateful for your courage." Her tone was friendly, her expression still thankful, "I was worried about you. You can't imagine how relieved I felt when I saw you coming back with Kugo."

"It was the least I could do," Belamis responded kindly. She may not like all about the princess, but she certainly recognized this girl deserved her respect and admiration. Aurora was not an ordinary woman; the Galaxy Energy was embodied in this exceptional human being.

The princess smiled again and dared to take Belamis's right hand, as she did with Kugo. Then she wrapped those hands with hers.

Belamis's heart beat a little bit faster, as she was taken aback by this. She caught a glimpse of Kugo and guessed he was just as confused and surprised as she was.

"All the time I kept my faith in you. I knew you would be on our side and I always hoped that you, sooner or later, would join us". Aurora came closer and tightened the grip.

"Thank you… both of you." She stared at them for a moment and grinned knowingly.

Belamis just nodded. At her side, Kugo was beaming. When she found his eyes, he gave her an irresistible smile.

"We always wanted you to join us," he confessed. Using his other hand, he took Belamis' left hand and laid it on the hands the princess was already holding. He placed his hand on hers. "You helped us to accomplish our mission after all. Now our team is complete."

Belamis just smiled slightly, trying to ignore how her heart was racing just because he was holding his hand or just because he was too close. Again, by the way he looked at her, now in front of the princess; she has confirmed what she already wanted to believe. Besides, she wanted to know more about what he had just said. So many things had happened to her in so little time! How her life was changing got her speechless.

"We agree," Djorgo added and Hakka nodded. They also placed their hands, forming a circle, like a team, like friends, hands in the middle, with the emerald light from the Great Planet illuminating them.

"Djorgo… my dear Hakka ," Aurora looked at them in the eye, her voice soft, her presence full of peace, "I have to thank you too. Thanks for your company, for protecting me, for risking your life for me. For all you left behind… for your sacrifice. For your endless love. All you did for me, you did it for all living beings in this galaxy…"

Belamis studied, while listening to the princess, the faces of Djorgo, Hakka and Kugo. There was genuine love, admiration and devotion in all of them.

_Aurora, you're so lucky._

She remembered what she thought once, when the princess was finally her prisoner. Oddly, Djorgo shot the princess. Belamis was shocked, wondering why those who were supposed to be her friends killed her! So Belamis was convinced that what Queen Lacets told her was true then: Aurora was so naïve. She didn't realize those cyborgs, like most men in the universe, were liars and their true purpose was to hold her captive. They would never let Queen Lacets, with her good intentions; reach the princess, so there's no other way than to capture the princess to save her from that bunch of scoundrels.

She felt sad for the princess; frustrated because all her efforts to restore the Galaxy Energy were in vain, but, also, she has deeply disappointed. Couldn't believe how those "bastards" could be so mean. Moreover, what bothered her the most was that, no matter how hard Queen Lacets tried to make her believe Jan Kugo was an evil cyborg, deep inside her heart always told her otherwise.

And she was right. Always right. Hours later, she learned Aurora was alive. For the first time she had doubts about what her queen has been telling her. What those cyborgs did were proof of unconditional love and loyalty, going to extremes to protect their princess. That day, Belamis swallowed her pride and accepted they had deceived her. What they did was a clever move to defeat her. She couldn't help but admire them. She even regretted being her enemy. But, at the end, duty comes first and she didn't paid attention to her sudden doubts.

Looking back, she also has to admit she never won the war against them and now, when she finally can see the truth, she's glad things turned out that way. It was hard to accept at first, but Djorgo, Hakka and Jan Kugo, even the princess, had taught her a lesson.

It was an honor to be in their company. Djorgo smiled at her and Hakka tried too, but he sniffled instead, like he was holding back some tears. Mucus was already flowing out of his nose and his face was becoming red.

"All this has made me hungry!" Hakka broke the circle of hands and the silence that followed Aurora's speech.

All stared at him in different ways, but Kugo was evidently controlling the urge to laugh. Aurora stared back at Kugo, as if saying "don't you dare!"

"Don't look at me like that! Let's go! What are you waiting for?" Hakka left them, his steps towards Queen Cosmos.

Aurora nodded at Kugo and turned to follow Hakka.

"He's probably crying, he's a hopeless sentimentalist," Djorgo explained to Belamis, offering a handshake, "By the way, welcome at last!"

"Thank you," Belamis and Djorgo shook hands. She already started to feel less strange, more comfortable.

"Let me take you to Queen Cosmos," Kugo offered his arm to walk together.

Belamis wrinkled her brow. She felt flattered for a second but she would not let it show. Any woman would have appreciated his effort, but she didn't consider herself "a lady". She was a soldier, a captain who led armies… a cyborg. She's got to the top and everybody, men and women soldiers alike, respected her precisely because she forgot what being a woman was like; or at least she believed so…

_I'm sorry Kugo, but I can't…not yet,_ Belamis wanted to say. It would take her some time to get used to show what she really feels for him. Instead, she said, somewhat sternly,

"You'd better save the gallantry for the ladies."

And then she left, walking with the same proud and extremely confident appearance she usually displays.

"Did I do something wrong?" Kugo shrugged and looked at Djorgo, who had been suppressing a laugh.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked the question to himself.

"Well, from what I've seen, I think she likes you," Djorgo dared to say while giving Kugo some pats on his shoulder.

Strangely, the observation didn't annoy Kugo or the fact that Djorgo seemed to be enjoying this.

"Didn't know I was so obvious," Kugo would not deny anything to Djorgo. The blue suited cyborg was pretty smart and Kugo considered him a friend.

"Obvious? Let's see. You have been worried about her since you met her," They kept talking while going back to Queen Cosmos, "Oh, I remember, you cried for her when we all thought she was killed during Queen Lacets' planet destruction… and I saw your face when she stubbornly left toward the photon monster. But I saw her too… It's so obvious there's something between you two."

"Yeah…" Kugo sighed deeply when they got to the craft. _I__'m almost sure she also feels something for me but it all depends on her… if she wants to… _

They found Belamis alone in the main cabin, preparing the instruments for takeoff and trying to establish communication with the Great Planet. Djorgo seated next to her to assist. Kugo stood between them, feeling glad to find her so busy. He watched her for a while.

"I just couldn't stay here doing nothing, " Belamis said without ever turning to look at Kugo.

"Go ahead! You are an excellent pilot! Actually, I was impressed by the way you landed your space fighter during the storm, remember? The first time we met?"

An image suddenly appeared on the screen. At the same time Princess Aurora broke in, grinning and visibly excited. Hakka followed, sandwich in hand.

"Kugo! It's Dr. Kitty and Professor Dodge! Aurora exclaimed, "They want to greet you! Well, all of you!"

Only then Belamis had the chance to take a look at the screen.


End file.
